Photos from my visit to Pahonu

[Pahonu]

Great pics, thanks!

It is the first time, I think, that any of us have ever seen the scalloped parapet wall on the upper lanai. It also matches the front courtyard wall shape as might be expected in good architectural design. How many decades has that been under foliage and no one could appreciate it's beauty??? I'll have to change my SketchUp model. But that's not the detail that surprised me most. If you look carefully in the photo from furthest out in the tidal pool where you can see the tops of the first floor windows, there's a small window to the side of the left-most French doors. In all the photos I've scrutinized over the years, I've never seen it. It was too obscured by the foliage. The other two windows are larger and have decorative iron grills on them, appropriate to the Spanish Revival style. I went back and looked at any photo I could find of that façade, and found just one from a Hawaii Five-O episode with William Shatner where it is just visible. The foliage was less dense then. Anyway, if it follows the pattern of the rest of the home, with large windows and French doors leading to public rooms and bedrooms, and small windows and vents opening to bathrooms, dressing rooms, hallways, and other service-type spaces, then I think that window opens to the bath/dressing room space of one of the two downstairs suites. When Rembrandt's Girl posted the newspaper descriptions of the estate as it was being built, it clearly described two downstairs bedroom suites that included dressing rooms, closets, and a bath. This area facing the sea wall would be one of those suites. The other would be between the stair hall and that suite. It would face the rear courtyard like two of the three upstairs suites. With this new information, almost all of the downstairs square footage is now accounted for, though precise dimensions and wall arrangements are still not known.

Now that the estate has been pruned so heavily, I would LOVE to see some kind of drone footage of that rear courtyard exposed. Even new Google Earth images would show much more now. It is the only area still not fully photographed and understood in this forum.

[TSMIV]

Lovin' it!

Thank you for taking the time and effort to share. Some of us will probably never get there ourselves, and this is the next best thing.

As KENJI points out, interesting to see the scalloped top on the upper lanai surround.

All the pics are stellar, in my opinion. Wonder if the new owners will nix any pix in the future? Not sure how they could prohibit passers by/visitors from snapping away, but it's been my experience, if you have enough money/power/influence, you can get/do just about anything you want.

Getting these all saved to my hard drive, added to my collection of Pahonu pics acquired from everybody who's ever posted their own on MM thanks to all who have!

Got pics?

Hi 308Guy,

Thanks for the very nice comments, it was my pleasure to load up the photos. I’ve derived so much enjoyment (and so many fantastic hints and tips) from all the folk on the Magnum Mania website so the least that I can do is reciprocate.

I sincerely hope that the new owners don’t nix any pix! It’s absolutely amazing that Magnum PI fans like myself can channel the big guy and swim in the tidal pool, walk on that beach and take a peek over the fence into the hallowed grounds of Pahonu. It’s difficult to imagine any other TV show that you could pay homage to in such a ‘hands-on’ immersive way. For instance I’m a big fan of the Rockford Files but I don’t think it will ever be possible to have a stroll through his trailer!

Cheers,

[TSMIV]

Aloha TSMIV!

Many thanks for sharing your Pahonu pics with us!
LOVED your MM and DT hat/shirt tributes - very creative!!!
It looks as though they have been really busy pruning.
You are correct that is the boathouse.....they cut down that nice tree that was right next to the stairwell which is a shame, but I'm guessing it was obstructing the view from the other side of the fence and maybe even doing some damage to the foundation ( a guess). They even ripped down all the greenery on the main house.....I don't think I've ever seen a pic of that one upper lanai without foliage.....interesting to see that the railing up there is curved on top - thanks for that one TSMIV!
I had to smile when I saw the cherry picker/hoist parked on the tennis court.....I guess no one there can climb a palm tree like Eve could!....joking aside the picker is the way to go with a place lie that. I bet the buildings are still squinting from seeing daylight again in a very long time. Great to see that it's coming back to life!
Look forward to your next installment of pics TSMIV!!!!
Thanks again!

Hello Kenji! (aka the FTA ), lovely to hear from you again,

Yep, I had to do the tributes, it adds to the medicinal and therapeutic powers of my DT cap! Funny thing about the cap - I almost lost it a couple of days later in Waikiki. My family and I had just arrived back at our hotel after dinner when I suddenly realised that I’d left my cap back at the restaurant. My daughter and I sprinted back along the beach so that we could get to the restaurant and retrieve the cap. Oh the relief when I found my beloved DT cap!!! I had my mojo back!

You’re correct about the pruning - it looked like the gardeners had been putting in some serious hours lately. The pruning actually made a a huge difference to the quality of the photos that I was able to take when I shoved my iphone over the wire fence and started snapping away (much easier to take some half decent photos compared to our last visit when the back fence ‘hedge’ was at least twice as high)

We actually saw a car driving in the through the front gate when we initially arrived so I think that your ‘coming back to life’ observation may be spot on.

More pictures to come..

All the best

[TSMIV]

Great pics, thanks!

It is the first time, I think, that any of us have ever seen the scalloped parapet wall on the upper lanai. It also matches the front courtyard wall shape as might be expected in good architectural design. How many decades has that been under foliage and no one could appreciate it's beauty??? I'll have to change my SketchUp model. But that's not the detail that surprised me most. If you look carefully in the photo from furthest out in the tidal pool where you can see the tops of the first floor windows, there's a small window to the side of the left-most French doors. In all the photos I've scrutinized over the years, I've never seen it. It was too obscured by the foliage. The other two windows are larger and have decorative iron grills on them, appropriate to the Spanish Revival style. I went back and looked at any photo I could find of that façade, and found just one from a Hawaii Five-O episode with William Shatner where it is just visible. The foliage was less dense then. Anyway, if it follows the pattern of the rest of the home, with large windows and French doors leading to public rooms and bedrooms, and small windows and vents opening to bathrooms, dressing rooms, hallways, and other service-type spaces, then I think that window opens to the bath/dressing room space of one of the two downstairs suites. When Rembrandt's Girl posted the newspaper descriptions of the estate as it was being built, it clearly described two downstairs bedroom suites that included sitting rooms, dressing rooms, and a bath. This area facing the sea wall would be one of those suites. The other would be between the stair hall and that suite. It would face the rear courtyard like two of the three upstairs suites. With this new information, almost all of the downstairs square footage is now accounted for, though precise dimensions and wall arrangements are still not known.

Now that the estate has been pruned so heavily, I would LOVE to see some kind of drone footage of that rear courtyard exposed. Even new Google Earth images would show much more now. It is the only area still not fully photographed and understood in this forum.

Hi Pahonu,

Glad that you liked the pictures. I must admit to not being aware of the significance of some of the views (ie the scalloped parapet walls on the upper lanai) that I snapped when I took the photos - put it down to fortuitous luck!

Additionally, it would be remiss of me to take credit for the photos of the boathouse - these snaps were actually taken by my youngest daughter when she sat astride my shoulders in order to obtain a better view!

I’ll go through all the photos that I took to see if there any any that provide a better view of the upper lanai or the small window to the side of the left most French doors. If I find any decent pictures, I’ll be sure to post them.

Good luck with updating the sketch-up model

[TSMIV]

I used the wonderful resource material on the Magnum Mania website to confirm that the public pavilion at Waialae Beach Park was used as one of the settings for the beach bar at the King Kamehameha Club.

Now that I adequately engaged in pre-visit investigatory activities, I paid a visit to the park - here’s some views of the public pavilion.

[KENJI]

Hi again TSMIV,
What kind of car did you see entering the estate.......maybe it was red in color and sporty?
I bet the new Kenji and his crew took PLENTY of foliage to the dump on this job! I was thinking one of two things the new owners have no idea how many MPI fans come to the estate for a look that they pruned everything down to see the fantastic views, but didn't factor us into the equation..... (some privacy will be sacrificed for that view) or they know all about us and don't really care (so long as the onlookers stay on the other side of the fence). It will be interesting to see if they maintain the existing plant heights in the years to come or let it grow a little higher to block our view inside like Eve did. I have to say that I prefer the main house with the foliage on the face of the building.....it looks too bare now.....kind of like when TS shaved off his famous mustache for awhile....it didn't look right at all .....I hope they let it grow back after they've done the repairs needed. In one of your pics I could make out what appears to be a white patch on the rendering (close to the upper lanai that we've been discussing). I'm guessing there were a few cracks/damage to be filled after being covered up for so long. You timed your visit perfectly for this unveiling - thanks again!
P.S.
Glad to hear that you found your hat....that would've really messed with your mojo!

[Pahonu]

It’s difficult to imagine any other TV show that you could pay homage to in such a ‘hands-on’ immersive way. For instance I’m a big fan of the Rockford Files but I don’t think it will ever be possible to have a stroll through his trailer!

Hey TSMIV,

Though you can't walk through Jim Rockford's trailer (actually my favorite all-time show, heresy here, I know), you can go to Paradise Cove and stand right where the trailer was located. I've been many times. They even have a plaque there. The Sandcastle Restaurant still looks much the same, though with a different name. You can also walk out onto the pier where Jim and Rocky used to fish, though not as far. Storms destroyed the end of it several years ago. So I understand a bit, the feeling you must have felt swimming in the tidal pool. I actually got to meet James Garner back in the mid-90's when he was filming one of the later Rockford TV movies, and Joe Santos. It was a real thrill. Garner and David Janssen are my favorite actors. Janssen died far to young in the early 80's and Garner a couple of years back. Now that I think of it, Joe Santos also passed recently.

On a happier note, thanks for going through you pictures again and looking for any new shots!

[Pahonu]

Hi again TSMIV,
What kind of car did you see entering the estate.......maybe it was red in color and sporty?
I bet the new Kenji and his crew took PLENTY of foliage to the dump on this job! I was thinking one of two things the new owners have no idea how many MPI fans come to the estate for a look that they pruned everything down to see the fantastic views, but didn't factor us into the equation..... (some privacy will be sacrificed for that view) or they know all about us and don't really care (so long as the onlookers stay on the other side of the fence). It will be interesting to see if they maintain the existing plant heights in the years to come or let it grow a little higher to block our view inside like Eve did. I have to say that I prefer the main house with the foliage on the face of the building.....it looks too bare now.....kind of like when TS shaved off his famous mustache for awhile....it didn't look right at all .....I hope they let it grow back after they've done the repairs needed. In one of your pics I could make out what appears to be a white patch on the rendering (close to the upper lanai that we've been discussing). I'm guessing there were a few cracks/damage to be filled after being covered up for so long. You timed your visit perfectly for this unveiling - thanks again!
P.S.
Glad to hear that you found your hat....that would've really messed with your mojo!

Hey Kenji,

I, like you, prefer the foliage on the house, but I'm betting they removed it for repairs and probably paint, both good things. They still left much growth along the sea wall and fences for privacy. Unfortunately, the foliage on the building could take a decade or more to grow back. If you look at early HFO episodes, it's much less than in the Magnum years, as is the perimeter privacy foliage.

[Styles Bitchley]

Fabulous photos. Great to see the updates and read all the great new analysis from our resident Pahonu experts! Such a joy! Thanks guys!

[TSMIV]

It’s difficult to imagine any other TV show that you could pay homage to in such a ‘hands-on’ immersive way. For instance I’m a big fan of the Rockford Files but I don’t think it will ever be possible to have a stroll through his trailer!

Hey TSMIV,

Though you can't walk through Jim Rockford's trailer (actually my favorite all-time show, heresy here, I know), you can go to Paradise Cove and stand right where the trailer was located. I've been many times. They even have a plaque there. The Sandcastle Restaurant still looks much the same, though with a different name. You can also walk out onto the pier where Jim and Rocky used to fish, though not as far. Storms destroyed the end of it several years ago. So I understand a bit, the feeling you must have felt swimming in the tidal pool. I actually got to meet James Garner back in the mid-90's when he was filming one of the later Rockford TV movies, and Joe Santos. It was a real thrill. Garner and David Janssen are my favorite actors. Janssen died far to young in the early 80's and Garner a couple of years back. Now that I think of it, Joe Santos also passed recently.

On a happier note, thanks for going through you pictures again and looking for any new shots!

Hi again Pahonu,

I can’t believe that you got to meet James Garner and Joe Santos, that would have been absolutely amazing!!! Wow, I’m very envious.

I’ve always been a huge fan of James Garner and was very sad when he passed away in 2014. He starred in my favourite film of all time (‘The Great Escape’) and in one of favourite TV shows as the wonderful Jim Rockford. From what I’ve read he seems to have been a really impressive person off the screen as well (e.g. joining Martin Luther King’s march on Washington in 1963).

You’ve just given me something to add to my bucket list - I simply must visit Paradise Cove and walk around the site of Jim’s trailer!! (and see the plaque that you mentioned). Plus, casting a fishing line off the pier where Jim and Rocky did the same would be surreal in a wonderful way.

Many thanks for sharing your Rockford Files tales - it was great to read them.

[TSMIV]

Fabulous photos. Great to see the updates and read all the great new analysis from our resident Pahonu experts! Such a joy! Thanks guys!

Glad that you are enjoying the photos SB - more to come

[KENJI]

Hi again TSMIV,
What kind of car did you see entering the estate.......maybe it was red in color and sporty?
I bet the new Kenji and his crew took PLENTY of foliage to the dump on this job! I was thinking one of two things the new owners have no idea how many MPI fans come to the estate for a look that they pruned everything down to see the fantastic views, but didn't factor us into the equation..... (some privacy will be sacrificed for that view) or they know all about us and don't really care (so long as the onlookers stay on the other side of the fence). It will be interesting to see if they maintain the existing plant heights in the years to come or let it grow a little higher to block our view inside like Eve did. I have to say that I prefer the main house with the foliage on the face of the building.....it looks too bare now.....kind of like when TS shaved off his famous mustache for awhile....it didn't look right at all .....I hope they let it grow back after they've done the repairs needed. In one of your pics I could make out what appears to be a white patch on the rendering (close to the upper lanai that we've been discussing). I'm guessing there were a few cracks/damage to be filled after being covered up for so long. You timed your visit perfectly for this unveiling - thanks again!
P.S.
Glad to hear that you found your hat....that would've really messed with your mojo!

Hey Kenji,

I, like you, prefer the foliage on the house, but I'm betting they removed it for repairs and probably paint, both good things. They still left much growth along the sea wall and fences for privacy. Unfortunately, the foliage on the building could take a decade or more to grow back. If you look at early HFO episodes, it's much less than in the Magnum years, as is the perimeter privacy foliage.

Hi Pahonu,

Yes it does look like the foliage removal is pointing towards paint and repairs which makes sense with a new owner coming into the picture. One plant that looks great on a building, but can actually do some damage depending on the rendering is ivy.....once a crack forms the plant will start to grow in there and over time, get large enough that it will force that crack open some more. On top of that it can do damage to the perimeter drain system, not to mention create a wonderful home for rodents. Hawaii is quite warm and humid which plants love so if they do decide to let something grow back on the exterior lets hope they pick a plant that grows fast and doesn't take 10 yrs. to cover it again. It would've been interesting to see what they discovered other than the scalloped lanai rail when they removed everything. I instantly thought of you with a big smile on your face when that popped up. I bet you've already changed it on your model. I wonder if the damage to the entire building (interior/exterior) is more than they expected or within reason for it's age. I'm happy to see the boathouse still standing......I hope they can save it because they won't let them build it from the ground up again in the exact same spot as it sits in the ocean setback /no build zone. Fingers crossed they can work some magic bracing and replacing timbers and reinforcing the walls without it falling down on them.

Looking forward to your next set of pics TSMIV.
Did you notice anymore pruning at the front of the place where they went to town in front of the gatehouse? Many of those plants actually grew back quite fast when they initially cut them all down.

[TSMIV]

Did you notice anymore pruning at the front of the place where they went to town in front of the gatehouse? Many of those plants actually grew back quite fast when they initially cut them all down.[/quote]


Hi Kenji,

I can’t say that I can recall seeing a lot of pruning near the front entrance of the estate but I’ll take a look at the my photos and let you know!

Cheers

[TSMIV]

Hi Pahonu,

I went through my photos to see if I could find any new photos of the upper lanai - here’s a couple and I hope that they help you with your model!

Apologies for the volume/possibly repetitive nature of the photos but I thought that I’d post them all so that your opportunity for detecting any new detail is maximised!

[KENJI]

Hi TSMIV,

Many thanks for the additional pics!
It appears they've been pruning in that back corner facing Rabbit Island too. The pic with part of your finger in it (I've done that many times) shows one of the homes on the rental property beside Pahonu which we haven't seen for awhile, maybe it's combination of what they cut down on the sea wall too that allows us to see it better. It would make sense to regain that gorgeous view out to the island especially from the upper lanai, just less privacy. There is a small gate in that corner (assuming it is still there) that gives them access to the beach. Did you take any pics from that angle facing the house? It would be interesting to see how much they cleared out and what view we would get looking inwards on the main house.